1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computerized systems for creating educational programs and use of such programs. More particularly, it relates to a computerized system and method for authoring and using educational programs which are based upon dynamic images and student interaction with the instructional materials.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The processes of educational instruction have changed little over the course of history. The prototypical process of instruction involves an instructor or teacher, presenting a concepts or processes to the students. Often, a textbook or other form of written material is used by the students to prepare for instruction, to review the concepts, or to gain greater knowledge of a subject. However, these verbal representations require students to mentally translate them in to visual concepts, particularly in the areas of math and science. The vast majority of ideas are dynamic visual concepts. Our minds hold them as moving images: atom, evolution, plate tectonics, black hole, variable, periodic table, mitosis, synapse, electromagnetic field, fractal, jet stream, wave motion, and derivatives. Yet today, they are taught principally with words. Text and talk is the medium of the classroom.
Although technology has increased the use of images, it has done little to change the instructional process. Often, instructors use images that they draw on a blackboard, show using slides or overhead projector transparencies, or reference in a textbook. Such images do not help students comprehend the dynamic nature of many concepts. In many courses, the descriptive lectures are intended to help students try to imagine dynamic images and understand the concepts that they represent. Therefore, a need exists for a system which enables teachers to author and present dynamic concepts visually.
New technologies have been developed using computers to generate images for lectures. In recent years, presentation technologies like Microsoft's® PowerPoint® have been used by instructors in search of a medium for presenting dynamic images to help students picture important concepts. PowerPoint was originally designed for business to create presentation slides. It simplified the process of making presentation slides particularly for non-technical users. However, PowerPoint, as similar presentation software, is limited to the creation of static slides. It does not include the tools necessary to develop or present truly dynamic content visualization required for education.
New technologies have also increased the use of multi-media presentations in education. Multi-media presentations increase the use of dynamic images and may include motion. Technological advances, such as video tape recorders, CD-ROMs and DVD have simplified the use of media in the classroom. However, theses technologies are more difficult and expensive for instructors to use in creating content. Furthermore, such presentations are not interactive. They move at a predetermined pace and cannot be easily adjusted to accommodate different student needs. New animation technologies, like Macromedia's Flash, are also being used to animate the images and even add some interactivity and simulation facility for students. Flash, however, was designed as a professional tool for artists and animators to create business animations that will be used many times. Such animations are difficult to edit or change and very expensive to create. Often, instructors are not sufficiently computer literate to create elaborate dynamic images using known systems. Therefore, a need still exists for a system which allows simple creation and use of visual and interactive images for teaching dynamic concepts.
The growth of global computer networks, such as the Internet, has led to great sources of information. Distance learning has become a desirable option for instruction, which accommodates the time and geographic constraints of instructors and students. However, most Web based instruction is like classroom instruction—textually based—with some multi-media periodically included. Students are again expected to learn visual concepts through internal visualization aided by textual descriptions from instructors. The Web provides a potential medium for dynamic image instruction which has yet to be utilized. While the Web is used to transfer or share textual information or basic images, dynamic systems or concepts are not easily created or used. Existing processes for authoring dynamic images are complex and most teachers lack the sufficient knowledge to use them. Therefore, a need exists for a system which allows instructors to easily author and share dynamic, interactive images. A need exists for a system which also allows instructors to author, edit, and share dynamic images as part of classroom instruction or distance learning.